Diddy Leads Hip-Hop Top-Earners List
Diddy was named hip-hop’s richest artist last March, and he’s still holding down the top spot. The Bad Boy Records founder leads Forbes‘ latest list of the highest paid hip-hop artists, raking in $50 million over the past 12 months with his label, vodka brand Ciroc, clothing line Sean Jean and forthcoming TV channel Revolt.
Diddy Tops List of Richest Hip-Hop Artists
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Though Jay Z is selling his stake in the Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center, the rapper still pulled in $43 million over the last year – good enough for the list’s second spot. Live shows, partnerships with Armand de Brignac champagne and D’Ussé cognac and label and sports management firm Roc Nation have helped give Jay Z a hefty income. And of course, he picked up $5 million from Samsung and made his album Magna Carta Holy Grail platinum before its release.
Dr. Dre‘s Beats by Dre continues to pay out well for the rapper-producer; he pulled in $40 million last year, and Beats by Dre looks to expand into a streaming music service soon. Nicki Minaj rolled into the fourth spot with $29 million, making her the highest-paid woman in hip-hop. Her take was boosted by touring and music sales, a nice paycheck for judging American Idol and endorsement deals with companies like Pepsi. Cash Money honcho Birdman came in at Number Five with $21 million.
Rounding out Forbes‘ Top 10 are Kanye West with $20 million, Lil Wayne with $16 million, Wiz Khalifa with $14 million, Ludacris with $12 million and Pitbull with $11 million.
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